Kind of a consignment?

[Catscankim]

I work with an older Haitian women who runs a table at a market every week...selling random stuff. Really just anything she can sell. If she finds it, she sells it. I dunno, I guess more of a flea market table LOL. I'm really just hearing about it.

I noticed that she can't see to read very well, so I gave her a pair of readers. A few days later, she didn't have the readers with her so I later gave her another pair of readers. Then she "lost" those as well. They were nice too. I got them from the eye doctor and they had nice designer frames. I never use the readers as I have progressive lenses. Anyway I was talking to my boss (well my retired boss), and she's like "stop giving her nice stuff, she is probably selling it at her market".

So it dawned on me, can I/should I give her soap to sell? Like a consignment. Maybe split the cost. I have been super busy at work and haven't even made time for making soap lately, let alone selling it. And I have a lot of soap to unload. Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up making soap or selling. I just really don't have time right now, and probably wont for at least a few months.

The only problem I can see is, that MY market value and hers is probably a bit different. Like, I imagine that she sold my expensive glasses for $2 LOL. I'd probably not put my label on them, and maybe not give her my good bars to sell unless I see that she is actually giving me a return. Maybe just give her a few bars at first and see how it goes... I probably don't even have to wrap them LOL.

I have quite a few not-so-perfect-to-me bars to get rid of...bars that are perfectly good, but not something that I'd showcase at my own vendor event or post online. I know donating is an option, but I don't have time for that right now either.

I dunno, just an idea I came up with.

 

[Vicki C]

Hmm… I’d be careful. Could be tricky I think. Are you sure you’d get your money back? Do you care if you do or not?

 

[dibbles]

I'd talk to her about it, as long as you don't care about the money. If you don't have time to deal with it, don't want it anyway and can maybe get back your cost to make it, it might be worth doing. Although, doesn't soap have to be labeled with at least a website or address? And weight? I don't sell and I don't know, but I thought I'd read that somewhere.

Hope your new job is going well.

 

[Ford]

mmm, maybe give her a few bars. To start the cycle going. Then sell her the refills at an agreed price?

 

[DeeAnna]

I personally would be leery of trying consignment sales with her, given how you describe this gal. If I were in your shoes and decided to try consignment with her anyway, I'd make an internal agreement with myself that I'm freely giving her the soap and if any money ever comes back to me, it will be an unexpected bonus.

I have never had consignment sales work out well except for the local gift shop I currently sell through. They are very meticulous about keeping records and sending checks out monthly, but I still get a few returns -- faded items that they put in their hot, sunny windows, items that they put sticky labels directly on the product that mar the surface, unsaleable items that have been dropped or mishandled by customers, or stuff that's sticky with dried soda. That's a major risk with consignment -- you have no control over how stuff is displayed or handled, but you end up eating all the problems anyway.

Another major risk is holding the consignment partner accountable for payment. One other business paid me (very sloooowly) only when I bugged them ... and they also managed to regularly "lose" product. That relationship didn't last long.

 

[Catscankim]

I personally would be leery of trying consignment sales with her, given how you describe this gal. If I were in your shoes and decided to try consignment with her anyway, I'd make an internal agreement with myself that I'm freely giving her the soap and if any money ever comes back to me, it will be an unexpected bonus.

Yeah, I guess that's how I see it. Hope for the best. She will probably say that she lost them too, along with the glasses LOL I saw her yesterday and thought to myself...yeah I won't get my money from her.

I will give her a few and see how it goes from there...

 

[earlene]

As a co-worker in a new-to-you supervisory position, are you in any way her superior at work? I'd take that into account and if the answer is yes, would not advise a relationship such as this (basically going into business together.) It could risky to your bread-and-butter job.

And yes, @dibbles is correct that soap is required to be labeled along with "the name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer, or distributor". It's the Federal Trade Commission that oversees labeling laws for true soap. Fair Packaging and Labeling Act: Regulations Under Section 4 of the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act

Florida has it's own laws as well, which I am not up to date on, but may impact soap sales for you as the maker (and for her as the consignor), so you should probably refresh your memory on those as well.